The best foundation brushes don’t have any particular shape, size, or style. In fact, they come in countless designs, and are one of the most diverse types of makeup brushes. “There are so many different foundation brushes on the market that I could understand if you get lost in a sea of options,” pro makeup artist Naima Bremer tells Vogue. “There are natural bristle brushes, synthetic bristle brushes, dense brushes, and more. When it comes to shape, there are flat, tapered, slanted, and the list goes on.”
Vogue’s Favorite Foundation Brushes
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Regardless of preference, foundation brushes are the ultimate tool for blending out complexion products. Best of all, complexion brushes are also a much more sustainable choice than makeup sponges due to their durability and reusability. With no shortage of options, we’ve narrowed down the 10 best foundation brushes—from short multi-purpose buff brushes to long-handled painterly paddle brushes. Let’s get blending!
Best Tapered: Hourglass Cosmetics Vanish Foundation Brush
- Why We Love It: This brush’s tapered shape makes it easy to buff out even the most hard-to-reach areas (think around the nose), seamlessly fitting into the contours of your face. Dense yet super soft, this foundation brush is ideal for blending in a buffing motion. Plus, you can use it with a cream stick or your favorite liquid formula.
- Shape: Tapered
- Material: Taklon bristles
- Synthetic: Yes
Best Kabuki-Style: Anastasia Beverly Hills A30 Domed Kabuki Brush
- Why We Love It: Anastasia Beverly Hills gives the classic kabuki brush a twist with a longer handle, handle, allowing for a lighter grip. The kabuki-style aspects of the brush lie within the shape, featuring a domed medium-sized brush head, with a firmer density and feel on the skin. For best results, the brand recommends working your cream or liquid foundation into the brush, before stippling into your skin.
- Shape: Domed
- Material: Synthetic hair
- Synthetic: Yes
Best for a Natural Finish: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush
- Why We Love It: For a your-skin-but-better look, Laura Mercier’s foundation brush is inspired by finger application—though this brush will create zero mess. When blended in a stippling motion, foundation melts into your complexion for a natural finish. The domed teardrop shape mimics that of a makeup sponge, allowing for streak-free results.
- Shape: Domed tear drop
- Material: Synthetic hair
- Synthetic: Yes
Best Multipurpose: Saie The Base Brush
- Why We Love It: Say hello to the ultimate multipurpose complexion brush. Saie’s Base brush is a does-it-all option for applying any cream or liquid formulas (think: skin tints, tinted moisturizers, gel creams, etc.). The brush’s densely packed bristles allow for product pickup without wastage, resulting in a never cakey application—plus, its overall compact size works well under the eyes for concealers, too.
- Shape: Round surface
- Material: Synthetic bristles
- Synthetic: Yes
Best for Buffing: Ilia Perfecting Buff Brush
- Why We Love It: For a buffed-out makeup look (a.k.a., no harsh lines anywhere), this is the ultimate versatile makeup tool—and for good reason. With its compact brush head and handle size, it can be tossed into any bag and work with any cream or liquid makeup formulas. Plus, not only are the bristles cruelty-free, but the aluminum handle is a recycling-friendly choice. For best results, Ilia recommends blending in small circular motions.
- Shape: Tapered dome
- Material: PBT fiber
- Synthetic: Yes
Best for Liquid Foundation: Fenty Beauty Full Bodied Foundation Brush
- Why We Love It: Fenty Beauty’s full-bodied brush makes blending liquid foundation seamless—in both application and results. The brand was inspired by combining the fast area coverage of a paddle brush with the air-touched results of an airbrush. The result? The brush head’s medium-density packing of fine synthetic bristles blends out liquid formulas in a flash with a feather-light feeling. Plus, we love the how its Fenty Beauty’s signature pale pink color.
- Shape: Domed bubble
- Material: Ultra-fine synthetic bristles
- Synthetic: Yes
Best Drugstore: Real Techniques Bubble Blending Brush
- Why We Love It: For a high-performing foundation brush at a fraction of the cost, look no further. Powder, cream, or liquid foundations—you name it, the Real Techniques bubble brush can blend it. The round brush head allows for beginner-friendly blending by mimicking the natural curvature of fingers. Meanwhile, its dense bristles pick up and lay down makeup products with ease.
- Shape: Dense bubble
- Material: Synthetic bristles
- Synthetic: Yes
Best Paddle: MAC Cosmetics Paddle 190 Foundation Brush
- Why We Love It: This beauty writer’s first foundation brush was a paddle brush from none other than MAC Cosmetics. Think about a paddle brush as the perfect tool for painting on (in the literal sense) your liquid and gel formulas in a sweeping motion. Best of all, the non-porous vegan hairs won’t absorb too much product, meaning there’s no wastage when applying to your face—the exact amount of product you dispense will be blended by MAC’s paddle brush.
- Shape: Flat paddle
- Material: Non-porous vegan fibers
- Synthetic: Yes
Best Splurge: Westman Atelier Liquid Blender Brush
- Why We Love It: Luxurious, sustainable, and long-lasting—yes, this Westman Atelier brush is worth every penny and a ideal for blending liquid foundation or skin tints. The compact, rounded shape utilizes super-soft polyester bristles made from 66% recycled materials. Meanwhile, the sustainably-sourced birch wood handle is durable, and the shorter length allows for an easy, ergonomic hold. Plus, Westman Atelier’s brushes are handmade in Japan, the country with the world’s oldest (and finest) brush-making history.
- Shape: Domed
- Material: Polyester, 66% recycled content from post-consumer material
- Synthetic: Yes
Best for Full Coverage: Dior No. 12 Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush
- Why We Love It: It’s not quite a paddle, nor a dome—Dior’s Full Coverage brush is somewhere between the two. The synthetic, dual-fiber bristles (a mixture of fine and thick in density) pick up just the right amount of product to deliver streak-free full application without absorbing too much product or depositing it unevenly onto skin. For best results, Dior recommends starting in the center of your face, working outward in circular swiping movements.
- Shape: Rounded
- Material: Dual fiber
- Synthetic: Yes
How to Choose a Foundation Brush
“There are so many types of foundation brushes on the market nowadays, ranging from flat to domed and beyond,” pro makeup artist Buster Knight tells Vogue. From shape and quality to function and material, experts break down the different types of foundation brushes—and how to decide which is best for you:
- Shape: “The shape of the brush differs to coverage and overall finish of the make up. Something like an artist brush will give a buffed in airbrushed finish to the skin, whereas a flat brush will give you a heavier yet more even base,” says Knight.
- Cream Vs. Liquid Foundation Formulas: “For liquid formulas, I like to use a domed buffing brush as this leaves no streaks and creates a more even finish,” says Knight. Alternatively, Bremer prefers a more flat foundation brush for product swiped on in painterly strokes, or a duo fiber brush blended out in a swirling motion. For cream formulas, Bremer recommends a dense brush to buff thicker formulas into the skin.
- Quality: A fail-proof quality check is how easily a brush sheds—you certainly don’t want rogue bristles sprinkled across your face while applying foundation. Celebrity makeup artist Glenn Brownell explains that you can spot brush quality by touch. “Brush fibers should feel dense and secure to avoid shedding—not too flimsy. The softer the brush, the softer the application,” he previously told Vogue.
- Synthetic Vs. Natural Hair: Brownell says that synthetic hair brushes are not only cruelty-free but also ideal for cream and liquid foundation formulas. The less porous bristles of synthetic fibers are less likely to absorb products, ensuring an even pick-up and application of the product.
Best Practices for Using a Foundation Brush
According to the pros, the type of brush you use will generally dictate how you blend out your foundation. Paddle brushes blend in swiping motions, whereas a buff brush requires circular buffing, and stippling brushes call for a consistent tapping motion.
Regardless of the brush type, Knight always opts for the same application starting point when blending a flawless base. “No matter what, I prefer to start blending foundation around the jaw and work the product upwards toward the cheekbone. This stops me from using too much product on the T-zone and allows for an easier color match,” says Knight.
Meanwhile, Bremer prefers to switch up her approach to blending depending on what level of coverage you’re after. “I always recommend tapping the product into areas of your face where you want more coverage and switching to a swirling and swiping motion for the areas of your face you prefer less coverage.”
- Naima Bremer is a London-based makeup artist with over a decade of work in the beauty industry. Bremer’s clients include Saweetie, Willow Smith, Kali Uchis, Iris Law, and many more.
- Glenn Brownell is a Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Delilah Belle Hamlin, Awkwafina, and Tommy Dorfman.
- Buster Knight is a London-based makeup artist whose clients include Millie Bobby Brown, Naomie Harris, Kris Jenner, and more.
